| Paul Markham |
09-25-2005 01:10 AM |
I posted this a couple of days ago on another board. It's a medium negative guide to what can go wrong on a shoot. Add to it IDs, model releases and under age models.
Quote:
Got accused recently of trying to put people off shooting content, when all I was doing was pointing out the problems that can occur. So on the bases of ?If shit can happen I want to know before hand? here's a starters guide to shooting content.
What you need, what can go wrong and how you prepare or avoid the problems. I've listed them in order of importance and difficulty.
EQUIPMENT.
This is bar far the easiest part, digital equipment is easy to use, and they come with great manuals. Good stills camera, video camera, lights for both and a flash head will not cost a fortune. I would also advise using an external mike, nothing is more off putting than hearing every click on the camera and the camera mans breathing.
If you buy to cheap you risk looking a loser in front of the model, the kit will be slow, limited in what it does and you will spend more time correcting images than with good kit. Strobe lights are basically an electrical charge going through a tube of gas, buy cheap and they explode, burn out, take a long time to recharge and don't always give a 1005 accurate strength flash. Plan to use flash on camera, you will look less then professional waiting 5 seconds while the flash recharges, also flash on camera is never accurate, you will spend a lot of time correcting the images.
Whole package should start around $4,000.
Add to this some money for props and clothing.
LEARNING
Learning how to use the kit. Easy once you bought it. Takes a few weeks with the manuals and a couple of good books.
LOCATIONS.
Simply start out in your home, depending on the amount you shoot it will take a few weeks or months before you need to get down to IKEA and paint the walls a different colour. Surfers have a flood of sites shot in the same room, same way, same style and same action. Mix it up.
Hotel rooms are good, just be discreet.
PORNO
Learning the positions and porn element. Relatively easy, go out and buy good successful magazines or videos and learn what they are doing. Learn it until you can do it in your sleep. Models need directions, they rarely have a clue of how they want to be shot with a dildo up their bum. LOL
You need to be in charge and take the lead, models leading a shoot can lead to trouble and crap work. All workers respect a boss who knows what he's doing. It will also mean you don't have or develop a style of your own.
ORGANISING A SHOOT
Easy you just need to plan what you will do, how and why it needs to be done this way. Time is money, make it efficient and bored people make bad models.
MODELS.
Getting people to phone you from an ad is easy, getting them to come to a casting requires phone skills. Know exactly what you will say in the advert and on the phone. Expect a 50% drop out rate from phone calls to castings. When they do turn up know exactly what you will tell them, best to hide nothing, and have answers for any questions that pop up.
A casting is where you make the first impressions on a model, make it a good one. Also think about what you require of a model and make sure those you accept are right. Not a time to be taking anyone who will drop their knickers. Picking the right models just takes time, tuning a wrong person into a model takes skills and experience.
The number of people you can find to pose is down to your skills and the area you're in.
Learn how to deal with pimping boyfriends, the protective ones are easy to deal with.
SHOOTING
Here is where the preparation pays off, if you planned and learnt properly you will look good in front of the models, if you did not they will start to wonder if you are doing this to see them naked, a loser or just inept.
Getting models to work is easy. Problem is you are not likely to be working with models, plan that the most shoots a person will do is 4-5 before they come to you. Some will be brand new and clueless. Few of them give a monkeys toss if you make a profit.
Your relationship with the person you're shooting is now very important. If they think you're wonderful expect a good time, if they think you're a loser expect a bad time and content.
Getting someone who has no intentions of fucking anyone, in fact they don't want you withing 6 feet of them, to look like they will shag the world for a pizza is a skill that comes with time.
AGENTS
They are dealing with many big shooters, paying top dollar, back handers and providing a lot of work. They also have a negative view of newbies, they are on guard for perverts and know the failure rate of newbies is high. Expect them to send you models after everyone else has shot them. They will also load the price and their commission.
Expect them to not send the best they have.
VARIETY.
Biggest problem and combines many other things. Getting a girl a week worth shooting is very hard, aim at one a fortnight. This person will be a 6 out of 10, sometimes an 8 will turn up. Look at our site to see how many 10s we shoot. Then you have locations, a different girl on the same sofa soon gets boring to the viewer, do it to often and sales will suffer.
We have all the contacts with agents, spend a lot on advertising and models bring friends. Doubt if we shoot 50 reasonable girls a year. Had one new stunner this year and her boyfriend is a dick head. As a newbie shooter you will get less out of the girl so you will not be making her look better and appear sexier.
STYLE
This is what separates you from the rest. In the beginning you will look like most other newbie shooters, can't be helped but that's the way it is. In 6 months you will have mastered a technique that will allow you to develop a style that puts you apart from the competition. Work hard at it.
OUTPUT.
Unless you shoot crap as if porn is a race reckon on 4 sets 3 videos a day. Reckon on most models being worth 2 shoots. Getting 24 models a year, which I think is high, means 192 sets and 144 videos a year. Or 336 pieces a year, or just under one a day. This will take a day a week preparation and a day a week editing/correcting images if you shoot well. If you shoot badly look at 2 days.
We have a staff of four on the shooting team and an output of just over 500 sets and 200 videos.
Sorry if it was long but well worth reading. If you're in content production or thinking about it.
If you think I'm trying to deter you from shooting, think on. I would be better served in letting you find out the problems yourself and am only warning you of what to prepare for.
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Long read but might save you a lot of headaches. |
